Honey Roast Ham and a Dead Spider - should I be Worried?

  • Thread starter some bloke
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In summary: Some of the ingredients in Honey Roast Ham might be poisonous to spiders. The World Cancer Research Fund advised the avoidance of processed meats some years ago.
  • #1
some bloke
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TL;DR Summary
I had lunch and dropped a small piece of ham. a spider (Barry) appeared to eat it. Shortly afterwards, he died. Is it poison?
At lunch I had Honey Roast Ham. A small piece, about 1/2" x 1", dropped on the floor. a few minutes later, I observed "Barry" having a good munch on the ham.
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Barry and his ham were moved out of the way and I went back to work. About an hour later, I looked down and, coincidentally, observed what I now know to be Barry dying. His legs arched back against his back, and he "collapsed".
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Now, several hours later, he's clearly dead.

Barry appeared to be healthy, he moved ok when we repositioned him. but now, after chowing down on what I had for lunch, he is dead.

Should I be worried? Is there something in Honey Roast Ham which might be an insecticide (arachnicide?), or was it just Barry's time? Am I happily scoffing something toxic for my lunch, but in such low quantities it doesn't affect me?

I'm in the UK, if that has any bearing on ingredients and spider types.
 
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  • #2
Ham is very high in sodium, perhaps the spider couldn't handle that.
 
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  • #3
Nitrites/nitrates, other preservatives?
 
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Greg Bernhardt said:
Ham is very high in sodium, perhaps the spider couldn't handle that.
Beat me to it Greg. AFAIK, spiders suck the juices from their prey. I would think that high sodium ham would be to the spider like people drinking ocean water. :oldruck:
 
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  • #6
some bloke said:
Summary: I had lunch and dropped a small piece of ham. a spider (Barry) appeared to eat it. Shortly afterwards, he died. Is it poison?

Is there something in Honey Roast Ham which might be an insecticide (arachnicide?), or was it just Barry's time?

I would repeat the experiment with another spider of the same species if possible.

Presumably the meat was juicy because as @Borg said, they can only suck in juices. They don't take bites of things.
You could also try washing and squeezing out the juices, replace them with some water, and see if the spider is interested and whether it dies.
 
  • #7
  • #8
Yes, it was quite juicy ham.

Not sure about repeating it, I'm not a fan of killing any animals on purpose (unless I was going to eat it!).

As for the cancer side of things, from what I gathered on that front when the news told me to stop eating bacon was that their ranking system isn't based on how much it increases your risk, but on how conclusively they can prove that it increases your risk. IIRC Bacon was ranked the same as smoking, but conclusively proved that it increased the risk of a cancer you already had a very low risk of by less than half a percent of that original risk, whereas smoking was a much higher risk of affecting you. Though that may be a quantity thing - few people are on 30-40 rashers of bacon per day!

Thanks for the replies guys, it's been interesting!
 
  • #9
some bloke said:
Summary: I had lunch and dropped a small piece of ham. a spider (Barry) appeared to eat it. Shortly afterwards, he died. Is it poison?

Should I be worried? Is there something in Honey Roast Ham which might be an insecticide (arachnicide?), or was it just Barry's time? Am I happily scoffing something toxic for my lunch, but in such low quantities it doesn't affect me?

I'm in the UK, if that has any bearing on ingredients and spider types.
That's a big one for the UK.
 

1. What is Honey Roast Ham and why is there a dead spider in it?

Honey Roast Ham is a type of cured and roasted pork that has been glazed with honey for added sweetness. The presence of a dead spider in it is most likely accidental and can happen during the production process or due to contamination.

2. Is it safe to eat Honey Roast Ham with a dead spider in it?

In most cases, yes. The spider is most likely dead and poses no harm to your health. However, if you are allergic to spiders or have a weakened immune system, it is best to avoid consuming the ham.

3. How did the spider end up in the Honey Roast Ham?

As mentioned earlier, it could be due to accidental contamination during production or packaging. It is also possible that the spider crawled into the packaging before it was sealed.

4. Should I be worried about other contaminants in the Honey Roast Ham?

It is always a good idea to practice food safety and thoroughly inspect your food before consuming it. However, the presence of a dead spider does not necessarily mean there are other contaminants in the ham. If you are concerned, you can contact the manufacturer for more information.

5. What should I do if I find a dead spider in my Honey Roast Ham?

If you have already consumed the ham, there is no need to panic. As mentioned earlier, the spider is most likely dead and poses no harm. However, if you have not consumed the ham yet, you can either remove the spider and continue to eat the ham or discard it and contact the manufacturer for a replacement or refund.

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